Convenience Fees

This week, I had a crazy week. Super crazy. Busy, not a lot of free time. So I decided to use an online grocery delivery service. If you knew just how close I live to a grocery store, you would find this ridiculous.

But I have to admit, it was really convenient. For a nominal fee, I got everything I needed brought right to my apartment. Sure, there was an added fee. But I almost always end up with one “splurge” purchase at the grocery store, especially when I’m shopping tired, stressed, or hungry. Or all three. So I figured that the delivery fee was pretty much equivalent to that splurge purchase – except that this delivery fee is calorie free.

I’m thinking I might make this part of my routine. Online grocery shopping every two weeks, with stops at the store only for produce. It definitely makes budgeting easier and I think it will help me eat healthier. If I don’t see those fancy, calorie laden foods, I probably won’t buy them. And it certainly saves time.

I was discussing this with a friend the other day. She was debating whether to take the bus or Amtrak from DC to NYC for the holidays. The busses are really nice. And cheap. But like cars, they’re subject to traffic problems. Amtrak isn’t always perfect either, but it’s got a better on-time record. At any other time of year, she’d vote for the bus, but with holiday traffic, she’s leaning towards Amtrak. More expensive, but she’s happy to pay the money for the convenience.

Some people would think this is crazy – how can someone dedicated to proper money management think that purposefully picking the more expensive option makes no sense. But it’s all about how you want to spend your money. Some people would rather save the money, others prefer to save the time. As long as it’s a purposeful decision, either one is correct.

Comments

Be careful! I went to go do that grocery delivery thing, and when I really looked at the prices, the groceries themselves were more expensive. Not only the delivery fee, but your paying like 30% more for your groceries, sometimes. I’m off to read more of your blog 🙂

Ordering your groceries online is an amazing way to save money! I’ve been doing it for a few years now, the fee for delivery hardly breaks the bank and by choosing to shop online at the cheapest supermarket you can do a monthly shop and just buy what you need and keep within budget. Amazing tool, especially for frugal people who don’t have cars like me!

We recently switched to using Peapod. Some prices are higher, but between shopping the sales, avoiding impulse buys, checking over what you actually ARE buying and not going out to eat just because we haven’t gone grocery shopping….again….well, it comes out cheaper in the end for us.